


Ora

by Bitterblue



Series: Daemons and Demons [2]
Category: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-07 23:56:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8821360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bitterblue/pseuds/Bitterblue
Summary: More of the HDM au you didn't know you wanted. Set before Noktomezo, teenage Danvers sisters figuring themselves and their daemons out.





	

After they make it through the language barrier, Alex worries that her daemon is what's going to give Kara away. She'd initially resisted naming him ("We don't _do_ that on Krypton") until Clark had intervened, and even then she'd refused to help decide on something. (In the end, her parents had chosen, which feels appropriate on some level, taking in this girl and naming a part of her. It's just that, well, _Alex worries_ and she worries Kara will regret not naming Ora herself.)

On Krypton, daemons had been small, circumspect things. They might be mice, or very small birds, perhaps a moth: the correct shape for a daemon to be was nondescript. In the first months after her crash landing into Alex's life, Kara's daemon hasn't shifted much outside of these forms. Alex, with Nok only very recently settled in what they think will be his final shape, can't understand why she wouldn't want to stretch herself and explore a little. Kara's been so enthusiastic about learning Earth customs, except in this one thing. It doesn't make any sense.

Alex isn't sure she's ever going to get used to _worrying_ about someone else with her whole heart like this.

 

* * *

 

For the first month after her dad dies, Alex moves through the world in a fog. She eats and sleeps and goes to school, presumably, though later she won't remember much. In this moment, she survives, and her mom survives, and Kara survives, and it's not really _enough_ so much as it suffices.

Maybe six or eight weeks after, Alex has spent most of her Saturday lying listlessly on her bed, Nok using her hair as a nest, listening to the same punk cd on a loop. Eliza is at work, unexpectedly called in for the afternoon. Kara has been ensconced in front of the tv since lunch.

When it looks like Eliza won't be home for dinner, Alex ducks her head into the living room. "Hey, Kara?"

Kara looks over at her, eyes bright almost like she's going to cry, and brings her hands up to her chin as she whispers, "Did you know there were so many _kinds_ of _dogs_?" Beside her, Ora slides smoothly from a smallish terrier shape into a poodle.

Alex raises her eyebrows, aiming for a gentle tone as she says, "Kara, are you...watching the dog show?"

Her sister nods, still looking perilously close to tears. "There are so _many_. And they're all so good." She glances down at Ora, midway to bulldog, and then back up at Alex. "I **—** we **—** get it now, I think." She's smiling proudly, and it makes Alex smile, too, even if she's still a little bewildered. Dinner can wait.

 

* * *

 

It's like that one small moment accidentally unleashes a flood: after that afternoon, Kara and Ora experiment with all sorts of shapes, though she remains partial to dogs in particular. She's a little on the late side for her daemon to settle, but not _markedly_ enough that anyone outside of their family has apparently noticed. (Alex still worries.)

They're walking along the beach, Alex and Nok and Kara and Ora, testing how far they can separate themselves. The evening sun lights everything in coral reds and deep purples, the beach otherwise empty as the two young women instruct their daemons to stay. They try to walk away: ten paces, fifteen. At twenty, Alex feels a tugging sort of discomfort which quickly shifts into pain by twenty five, Nok shouting in alarm. Kara and Ora hold out a moment longer (though Alex thinks it's a little that Ora is a giant bear of a dog, some kind of St Bernard, using size to help where Nok couldn't), making it to thirty paces before she has to stop, doubling over and grasping at her middle.

"Alex," she pants, tilting her head up to look at her, "what if you were in trouble?"

 

* * *

 

The internet is full of solutions, from the extremely dubious ("Six diet tips that will help you and your daemon separate further!") to the obvious (a wikihow article called "How to increase how far you can separate from your daemon" with "Step 1: If it hurts, you're going too far and should stop."), none of which really help at all. As it becomes increasingly clear that Ora is happiest in the form of a golden retriever, Alex worries.

Kara has been mostly good, most of the time, about living a quiet, normal life. Alex can see that it chafes, a little, having to ignore all of the extra talents and powers she has on this planet, but it seems to be worth the trade-off for anonymity. She would _worry_ , but she would also understand if someday Kara wanted to follow in her cousin's footsteps. Only, Clark's daemon is a robin, so it isn't hard for them to fly _together_ when he needs to be Superman. While Kara could carry Ora around with her, he might get in the way of saving anyone else, and Alex is pretty sure that even Kryptonian daemon-dogs can't fly.

It isn't a problem. Not yet.

 

* * *

 

It's Hank Henshaw who comes up with the solution, though it sounds barbaric enough that Eliza protests.

"You're telling her she just needs to _tough out_ the pain of you breaking off a piece of her soul, so that...what? She gives up all hope of a normal life to be some superhero?" She's furious, pacing the kitchen. "She's only sixteen!"

"Old enough to decide for herself," Hank answers, tone patient. Alex can't remember him sounding anything but patient, the slow rhythm and softness built into his voice itself. She understands why her father had been his friend, and it doesn't sting quite the same sharp way it used to.

"She's only just really started to fit in, and we promised Clark we'd take care of her, not **—** "

"We'll do it." Eliza stops mid-pace, face thunderous and then softening at the determined expression on Kara's. Ora, looking serious, follows her into the kitchen. "I couldn't help overhearing…" she glances at Alex, mouth flickering into a half-smile briefly that makes Alex feel sheepish. They'd been too busy talking about Kara to invite her to the discussion herself. "What if I were at school or work or something and an emergency happened? If I couldn't easily bring Ora with me, what if someone else got _hurt_? I'd rather be prepared."

Alex pictures her sister in a red cape like Clark's, pulling people to safety somewhere. Alex, herself, would probably still be at home, maybe with Ora to keep him company while Kara is away. She's not even a potential superhero. Nok nips at her ear, knowing exactly what she's thinking of suggesting, but he doesn't protest when she says, "We'll do it, too. So Nok can go with you, if you need to go."

Kara looks at her, obviously surprised, and then crosses the few steps between them to pull Alex into a tight hug. Ora presses himself into the space behind Alex's knees, warmth spreading through her as he does. "I never thought I'd have a sister, but you're _mine_ now and you'll never be alone," Alex whispers into golden hair and she can feel Kara's sunshine smile illuminating them both.


End file.
